Obituary
Virgil K. Martinek, 78, of West Des Moines, Iowa passed away on Monday, June 11, 2018 at the VA Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. A memorial service will be held at 11A.M., Thursday, June 21, 2018 at the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa. A memorial service will immediately follow the visitation and begin at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be held at 2:00 p.m. in the Booneville Cemetery in Booneville, Iowa.
Virgil was born on April 12, 1940 in Belle Plaine, Iowa to Joseph and Elsie (Hinkle) Martinek. He grew up in Belle Plaine and graduated from Belle Plaine High School in 1958. Following school Virgil joined the Army where he honorably served his country. Once he returned home from the service he moved to Des Moines where he purchased a gas station on Euclid Avenue in Des Moines. He sold his station and then began working for Pittsburg Des Moines Steel, where he helped build the St. Louis Arch. He married Josephine LaRue on November 9, 1963 and the couple resided in the Des Moines. Virgil then began working for Bridgestone Firestone where he worked for 25 years before his retirement and was a URW Union Steward for many of those years. In retirement he worked part-time for Prairie Meadows and then at Lowes. Virgil was a member of Hope Lutheran Church in West Des Moines, URW, and the Central Iowa Railroad Club. Virgil enjoyed spending time with his family, woodworking, HO scale trains, gardening, working on home projects, cooking, cars, watching NASCAR, playing his trumpet, computers and technology, fishing, and camping.
Those left to cherish her loving memory are his daughters Sandra (Eric) Bickel of Des Moines, IA, and Mandy (Phillip) Ruggles of Broken Arrow, OK; grandchildren Alyssa and Wyatt Bickel, Richard Brooks, Patrick and Rusty Ruggles; great-grandchild Kylah Brooks; brother-in-law Russell LaRue Jr. of Leon, IA; 2 nephews; niece; cousins; and close friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Josephine, and son Richard Martinek.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be directed to the family and delivered to his service or mailed to Sandra Bickel, 2015 47th Street, Des Moines, Iowa, 50310.
Celebrate Life Iowa has been entrusted with the cremation care of Virgil.
Virgil was born on April 12, 1940 in Belle Plaine, Iowa to Joseph and Elsie (Hinkle) Martinek. He grew up in Belle Plaine and graduated from Belle Plaine High School in 1958. Following school Virgil joined the Army where he honorably served his country. Once he returned home from the service he moved to Des Moines where he purchased a gas station on Euclid Avenue in Des Moines. He sold his station and then began working for Pittsburg Des Moines Steel, where he helped build the St. Louis Arch. He married Josephine LaRue on November 9, 1963 and the couple resided in the Des Moines. Virgil then began working for Bridgestone Firestone where he worked for 25 years before his retirement and was a URW Union Steward for many of those years. In retirement he worked part-time for Prairie Meadows and then at Lowes. Virgil was a member of Hope Lutheran Church in West Des Moines, URW, and the Central Iowa Railroad Club. Virgil enjoyed spending time with his family, woodworking, HO scale trains, gardening, working on home projects, cooking, cars, watching NASCAR, playing his trumpet, computers and technology, fishing, and camping.
Those left to cherish her loving memory are his daughters Sandra (Eric) Bickel of Des Moines, IA, and Mandy (Phillip) Ruggles of Broken Arrow, OK; grandchildren Alyssa and Wyatt Bickel, Richard Brooks, Patrick and Rusty Ruggles; great-grandchild Kylah Brooks; brother-in-law Russell LaRue Jr. of Leon, IA; 2 nephews; niece; cousins; and close friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Josephine, and son Richard Martinek.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be directed to the family and delivered to his service or mailed to Sandra Bickel, 2015 47th Street, Des Moines, Iowa, 50310.
Celebrate Life Iowa has been entrusted with the cremation care of Virgil.
Services
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